The checklist as a PDF
Entry, health, money, transport and safety, laid out for print, with their sources and verification date.
The Viafro verdict
For whom, and for which trip.
An editorial bearing, with no percentage and no rating: our criteria are written down, and every “good to know” links to its source.
- For which trip
- Lagos · Lekki Port · Abuja · Port-Harcourt
- Best season
- November to April, from Abuja’s normals
- Length
- Allow at least 8 days for these 4 essentials, one stop every two or three days. (Viafro’s rule of thumb)
Best time to visit
Twelve months, in colour.
Hover or tap a month: its reading and its source appear. Bars measure rain, the figure is the capital’s mean maximum.
Possible
November
Abuja: mean maximum 34 °C, 10 mm of rain · hot.
- Mean maximum
- 34 °C
- Rain
- 10 mm
- Station
- Abuja
Source: Wikipedia (climate normals)
Before you go
The essentials, tab by tab.
Entry, health, safety, money and facts: dated official extracts, never paraphrased.
Visa, passport, customs
GOV.UK advice, written for British passport holders. French travellers: see France Diplomatie (https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/information-par-pays/nigeria/conseils-aux-voyageurs-entree-sejour).
- To enter Nigeria, your passport must have an expiry date at least 6 months after the date you arrive. Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
- You must have a visa to enter Nigeria as a visitor. Get your visa before travelling. If you have a valid Nigerian residence permit (CERPAC or Green Card), you do not need a visa to enter Nigeria.
- To enter Nigeria, you must have a certificate to prove you’ve had a yellow fever vaccination. For full details about medical entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, see TravelHealthPro’s Nigeria guide.
Vaccines, malaria, water
This is not medical advice: talk to your doctor or an international vaccination centre before you travel.
- At least 8 weeks before your trip:
- Medical standards differ from the UK and you will have to pay for any medical treatment at public hospitals. Private hospitals are more expensive. Local hospitals may be crowded and there can be shortages in medical supplies and equipment.
Per the ministries
Viafro gives no safety rating: here are the zones and advice published by the French ministry (in French) and the official extracts, with their dates.
Vigilance zones published by France Diplomatie (in French) · page updated on 15 Sept 2026 · see the official map
- Red · Zones formellement déconseillées (zone rouge)
Les déplacements sont formellement déconseillés, pour quelque motif que ce soit :
dans le Nord-Est, les États de Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi, Adamawa au nord de la Bénoué, Jigawa et Kano, (à l’exception de la ville de Kano, déconseillée sauf raison impérative) ;
- Orange · Zones déconseillées sauf raisons impératives (zone orange)
Les zones classées en orange sont caractérisées par un risque élevé de grande criminalité, en particulier d’enlèvement. Les projets de voyage non indispensables sont à proscrire.
Sont classés en zone orange :
- Yellow · Zone de vigilance renforcée (zone jaune)
Sont classés en zone jaune :
la ville d’Abuja ;
- There is a high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting UK interests and British nationals, including from groups and individuals who view the UK and British nationals as targets. Stay aware of your surroundings at all times.
What the country’s law provides
Photography, alcohol, drugs, relationships: the rules published by the ministries, quoted as they stand, without comment.
- Possession or use of illegal drugs, including cannabis, carries severe penalties in Nigeria. You should expect a long jail sentence and heavy fines for possessing, using or smuggling illegal drugs, including when transiting.
Currency
nairaViafro publishes no price or budget range without a source: amounts will come from our own expenses recorded on the ground, dated and itemised.
- There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Nigeria. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.
Express card
Structured data from Wikidata and the CIA World Factbook, re-checked at every site update.
- Population · 2025
- 237,527,782
- Time zone
- no time difference with Paris
- Plugs and voltage
- Type D and G plugs · 230 V
- Driving side
- Driving on the right
- Calling code
- +234
- Languages
- English
- Area
- 923,768 km²
- Highest point
- Chappal Waddi, 2,419 m
- Main religions
- Muslim 53.5%, Roman Catholic 10.6%, other Christian 35.3%, other 0.6%
Getting there and around
Airports, roads and transport.
- LOSMurtala Muhammed International AirportLagos7.5 M passengers · official site
- ABVNnamdi Azikiwe International AirportAbuja5.6 M passengers · official site
- PHCPort Harcourt International AirportPort Harcourt1.3 M passengers
- KANMallam Aminu Kano International AirportKano606,221 passengers
Direct flights from Paris are to be checked on the airport’s or airline’s website.
On the road
- The Nigerian Government has issued a warning about travelling at night in North Central Nigeria in response to security concerns. If you are planning to drive in Nigeria, see information on driving abroad. Road travel across Nigeria can be dangerous.
Destinations
The essentials.
Lagos
Lagos (; LAY-goss; Yoruba: Èkó [èkó]), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan port city in southwestern Nigeria.
Lekki Port
Lekki Deep Sea Port, is a multi-purpose, deep sea port in the Lagos Free Zone and is the only currently operating deep sea port in the country, having started full commercial operations in April 2023.
Abuja
Abuja () is the capital city of Nigeria, strategically situated at the geographic midpoint of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Port-Harcourt
Activities
What to do, sheet by sheet.
Starting point, season, tips and sources: each sheet says only what its sources say.
Nigeria
Lekki Conservation Centre, Lagos
Set up in 1990 in Lekki, Lagos State, the Lekki Conservation Centre is a 78-hectare nature reserve.
Nigeria
Nike Art Gallery, Lagos
Founded in 2009 by Nike Okundaye, Nike Art Gallery is West Africa’s most extensive art collection, with 25,000 works.
Nigeria
Freedom Park, Lagos
In downtown Lagos Island, Freedom Park stands on the site of the former Broad Street Prison.
Nigeria
Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove
On the banks of the Osun river just outside Osogbo, this centuries-old sacred grove is among the last of the Yoruba sacred forests.
Nigeria
Sukur Cultural Landscape
In the Mandara Mountains, on a hill above the village of Sukur, this is Africa’s first cultural landscape on the World Heritage List, inscribed in 1999.
Nigeria
Yankari Game Reserve
In Bauchi State, Yankari Game Reserve covers about 2,244 km² of West African savanna.
Nigeria
The Obudu Plateau and its cable car
In Cross River State, the former Obudu Cattle Ranch is a ranch and resort on the Obudu Plateau.
Nigeria
Olumo Rock, Abeokuta
In the heart of Abeokuta, Ogun State, Olumo Rock rises to 137 m above sea level.
Nigeria
Idanre Hill
In Ondo State, Idanre Hill rises to about 914 m above sea level over the town of the same name.
Nigeria
Zuma Rock, gateway to Abuja
West of Abuja, along the road from Abuja to Kaduna, Zuma Rock is a monolith rising to about 725 m above sea level.
Lagos
Filmed by usMust-try food
Six dishes, and where to taste them.
Egusi sauce
Egusi sauce or egusi soup a popular soup in Nigeria. The word 'Egusi' is of Yoruba origin. It is prepared with egusi seeds as a primary ingredient. Egusi seeds are the fat- and protein-rich seeds of certain cucurbitaceous plants. Egusi sauce is common and prev
Jollof rice
Jollof, or jollof rice, is a rice dish from Senegal, West Africa. It is typically made with long-grain rice, tomatoes, chilis, onions, spices, and sometimes other vegetables and/or meat in a single pot, although its ingredients and preparation methods vary acr
Suya
Suya, also known as Tsire, is a traditional Hausa (Nigerian) smoke-grilled spiced meat on skewer. Suya is generally made with thin-sliced spiced beef, lamb, goat, ram, or chicken arranged on wooden skewers. Organ meats such as kidney, liver and tripe as well a
Efo riro
Efo riro is a vegetable soup and a native food of the Yoruba people of South West Nigeria and other parts of Yorubaland. The two vegetables most commonly used to prepare the soup are Celosia argentea and Amaranthus hybridus. The history of Efo riro is deeply r
Moin moin
Moin-moin, moi-moi or olele is a steamed or boiled bean pudding made from a mixture of washed and peeled beans and onions, fresh red peppers, spices, and often fish, eggs, chicken or crayfish. It is a protein-rich Yoruba food that is commonly eaten across Yoru
Pounded yam
Pounded yam is a Nigerian swallow food. It is commonly prepared by pounding boiled yam with a mortar and pestle. Pounded yam is similar to mashed potatoes but heavier in consistency. It is smooth and eaten with the hands.
Culture and etiquette
Customs, dress, useful words.
- Hellohello
- Thank youthank you
- Pleaseplease
- Entries checked on Wiktionary.
- Religions: Muslim 53.5%, Roman Catholic 10.6%, other Christian 35.3%, other 0.6%.
- Languages: English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani, over 500 additional indigenous languages.
Festivals and events
The big dates.
- National holiday
Independence Day (National Day), 1 October (1960) ; independence: 1 October 1960 (from the UK).
Fixed dates and moveable events, each with its source; moveable dates change every year and are to be checked on an official calendar.
Did you know?
Three things to remember.
The country’s highest point, Chappal Waddi, reaches 2,419 m.
237,527,782 inhabitants in 2025 on 923,768 km², about 257 per km².
Independence on 1 October 1960 (from the UK).
The country on video
Nigeria, in motion.
Gallery
See it before you go.
Real photographs: free images under a verified licence and Viafro images. Never a generated image. Credits in the footer.
Share your trip with #viafro: the best images will join this gallery, with your credit.
Live, work, invest
A few key figures.
Sourced data (World Bank). No investment advice.
GDP per capita (current US$)1.2World Bank · 2025GDP growth4 %World Bank · 2025Inflation (consumer prices)23 %World Bank · 2025Unemployment (ILO estimate)3.1 %World Bank · 2025
World Bank data (World Development Indicators), consulted on 28 Oct 2026. Tourist arrivals are the latest year published.
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Sources and verification dates · 19 sources, checked on 28 Oct 2026
Travel advice · GOV.UK (FCDO)Entry, visa, safety: the official page, kept up to date by the ministry. Travel health · US CDCVaccines and precautions from a reference medical source. World Heritage · UNESCOThe country’s inscribed sites and tentative list. WikidataCapital and currency, verified structured data.
- Wikidata · Nigeria (Q1033)
- World Bank · World Development Indicators
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · Nigeria · Foreign travel advice · Entry requirements (page updated on 28 Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · Nigeria · Foreign travel advice · Health (page updated on 28 Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · Nigeria · Foreign travel advice · Safety and security (page updated on 28 Oct 2026)
- Wiktionary · Checked entries (English)
- Wikipedia · Egusi sauce
- Wikipedia · Jollof rice
- Wikipedia · Suya (cuisine)
- Wikipedia · Efo riro
- Wikipedia · Moin moin
- Wikipedia · Pounded yam
- Wikipedia · Lagos
- Wikipedia · Lekki Port
- Wikipedia · Abuja
- CIA World Factbook · Nigeria (public domain) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
- France Diplomatie · Nigeria · Travel advice · Security (zones, in French) (page updated on 15 Sept 2026)
- Wikidata · Airports of the country (IATA code, traffic) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
- Wikipedia (climate normals) · Abuja · monthly normals (NOAA{{cite web) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
Information checked on 28 Oct 2026. Check the official source before you travel. Viafro gives no safety rating and publishes no price without a source.
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